AFTER RYAN GOSLING graced movie theater screens last summer as Ken in the massive blockbuster that was Barbie, there were instantly questions if his brilliant portrayal of the bleach blonde beach-loving bad boy would be in the running for any Oscars in 2024. Thankfully, the answer turned out to be, as Ken himself would put it, “Sublime!”—as he’s earned a well-deserved nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
A few weeks back, the slate of Oscars performances was confirmed, with Billie Eilish set to perform her “What Was I Made For?” ballad alongside her brother Finneas, Scott George and the Osage Singers doing “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon, Jon Batiste (“It Never Went Away” from American Symphony), and Becky G performing “The Fire Inside” (from Flamin’ Hot).
After conflicting reports surfaced as to whether Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” song from the film would be included with a performance of its own, he was finally confirmed to be reprising his role for one more night.
“I wasn’t thinking about it until now, and now it’s all I’m going to think about,” Gosling told W Magazine, as he joked that if he was compensated for his performance, he would be more up for it. “Do you get paid for that? What do you get paid to sing at the Oscars?” He also pointed out that if not, he would settle for a ride to the show at least—rather than having to drive himself. Because that would lover his Ken-ergy levels.
Here’s what viewers can expect from Gosling at the 2024 Oscars.
Everything We Know About Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” Oscars Performance
The 96th Oscars are going to be a great show for those who adored Ryan Gosling’s commitment to the dream ballet dance sequence of “I’m Just Ken” in Barbie. Although it hasn’t received quite as much love as Eilish’s song, Gosling is going to give it his all to support the film, and take the rare opportunity to completely own the Oscar stage.
During an interview with Deadline, one of the Oscars’s Executive Producers, Raj Kapoor, gave somewhat of an idea of what the performance will entail. The article’s author, Pete Hammond, mentioned that he’d been told by sources that Gosling will be joined by 65 male backup dancers. This won’t be confirmed until the performance actually takes place—but Kapoor and the awards show team did not deny it.
“It’s going to be a very big performance,” Kapoor shared. “You’ll see that. It is in rehearsal. I was down there yesterday, and there’s a lot of fun to be had when you watch this number, but yeah, I think we’re going big. I’ll say that. We’re going big.”
Watch Barbie Here
Is Ryan Gosling Actually Singing In “I’m Just Ken?”
Yes, it is Gosling’s real voice on “I’m Just Ken,” proving he’s a talented both as an actor and as a musician. The song itself was written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, who oversaw the Barbie soundtrack.
Several alternate versions of the track were released last December as part of Ken The EP, which featured “I’m Just Ken (Merry Kristmas Barbie),” “I’m Just Ken (In My Feelings Acoustic)” and “I’m Just Ken (Purple Disco Machine Remix)”—providing a mood for every type of Barbie lover.
Gosling also is the one singing in the film’s cover of Matchbox Twenty’s “Push,” as he sings it to Margot Robbie’s Barbie alongside all the other Ken dolls singing to the other Barbies. He is hilariously playing guitar around a campfire too, thinking it will wind up wining her over.
Some might not know that Gosling was actually part of a musical duo called Dead Man’s Bones with his real-life friend Zach Shields. The two released an album in 2009—proving he can also play the piano, electric bass, and possibly even more instruments. Gosling’s background knowledge of piano playing helped him in 2016’s La La Land also.
“I had to play the whole theme of the movie on the piano in one take without messing up,” he previously told Jimmy Kimmel.
Is Ryan Gosling Nominated For An Oscar For “I’m Just Ken?”
Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” song is nominated for Best Original Song at this year’s Oscars. However, it does seem like a dark horse in the race, as Eilish’s Barbie track has taken home wins at the Golden Globes and Grammys, two shows that only acknowledged her work from the movie’s soundtrack.
In total, Barbie is up for eight Oscars at this year’s ceremony, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Gosling), Best Supporting Actress (America Ferrera), Best Adapted Screenplay (Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach), and more.
Stay tuned to see who takes home the coveted prizes and Gosling’s massive Oscars performance.
Lexi Lane is a culture writer. Her work has previously appeared in NBC News, Variety, and more. When she’s not at her laptop, you can find her in a movie theater.